Shoe With Concealed, Heel Storage Compartment

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a wedge type article of footwear having a concealed storage cavity for storing personal items, including but not limited to, small wallets, coin purses, keys, money, credit cards, makeup, pepper spray, small cellular telephones, tampons, etc., for increased personal safety and increased convenience.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to footwear. More particularly,the present invention relates to a wedge heel type footwear having aconcealed, integrated storage compartment for personal items containedwithin the heel portion of said shoe.

II. Discussion of the Prior/Related Art

Whether to provide a hiding place, or to provide a storage compartmentfor small articles when no other means is available, shoes with hiddencompartments have been the subject of previous patents. U.S. Pat. No.2,478,411, issued to Martin in August 1949, discloses a lady's shoehaving a concealed compartment in the heel portion of the shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,991, issued to Neal in May of 1950, discloses awedge type heeled shoe comprising a compartment with a hinged door onthe inside sidewall of the shoe, accessible by key or bolt. U.S. Pat.No. 2,897,609, issued to Bodkin in August of 1959, discloses a storagecavity with a hinged door on the bottom of the heel of a shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,901, issued to Goldstein in September of 1959,discloses a shoe having a compartment in the heel, incorporating a novellocking mechanism. The compartment is inserted into the heel against thefrictional resistance of tongues, which tongues hold the container in areleasable locked position.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,234, issued to Weitzner in March of 1965, disclosesa shoe heel having a compartment in which a collapsed overshoe isstored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,982, issued to Gamm in October of 1985,discloses a wraparound pocket for footwear, comprising a pair of liners,one being an inner liner, the other being an outer liner where one ofthe liners has a slot provided therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,008, issued to Ruff in July of 1999, discloses anathletic shoe having a drawer slidably received within a compartment inthe heel for storing articles within the heel.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,920 issued to Morris et al. in March of 2001,discloses athletic footwear having a upwardly raised recess in the soleof the shoe wherein a low friction grind plate with compartment forstoring components is formed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,612, issued to Kent in September of 2001, disclosesmany variations of concealed storage compartments contained withinnumerous different types of footwear. Said patent discloses storagecompartments in the heels and toe portions of lady's footwear, men'sboots, men's dress shoes, athletic footwear, and even in-line rollerskates, otherwise known popularly as “roller blades” and ice skates.Access to such compartments are depicted as being gained by such meansas hinged doors, slidable doors on grooved mechanisms, cap closures,flap openings from the insole of the shoe, entirely removable heelscontaining a cavity therein, slidable drawers, and cylindricalcontainers that are either inserted or screwed into the heel portion ofthe shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,028,422, issued to Lewis in April of 2006, discloses arelatively small concealed storage cavity formed within the heel portionof a lady's flat type shoe, which is accessible via a flap typemechanism from the insole of the shoe.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or incombination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Inaddition, the present invention is seen to solve many problems that arepresent in the prior art. Specifically, many of the aforementionedinventions have accessibility problems that the present invention hassuccessfully eliminated. More particularly, the purpose of the presentinvention is to create a truly concealed, and relatively large storagecompartment that is easily assessable while continuing to wear the shoe.

Having access the concealed storage compartment while continuing to wearthe shoe has many associated benefits. For instance, the wearer mayaccess the stored items without having to remove the shoe; therebymaking access in a public forum more convenient and less obvious toonlookers or would be thieves and criminals. By having access thestorage compartment while continuing to wear the shoe, the wearer alsoreduces the chance of touching, or otherwise being exposed to, thevarious forms of bacteria or viral substances that may be present on theunder portion of the shoe that comes into direct contact with the ground(it should be noted that shoes often come into direct contact withrestroom or lavatory floors, which naturally tend to harbor fecal andother infectious matter).

Further, in much of the prior art, the closure portion or door member ofthe storage compartment comes into direct contact with the ground. Withsuch closure members being in direct contact with the ground, theirstructural integrity could become compromised by the attendant wear andtear. Also, with a closure portion or door member being in directcontact with the ground, one's personal items could become wet orotherwise soiled.

Moreover, by having a wedge type sole comprising a base several incheshigh and extending continuously from the toe portion of the upper soleto the heel portion of the upper sole, more space is created in the heelportion of the sole, which allows for a storage space capable of storinglarger personal items such as a wallets, coin purses, makeup, keys,pepper spray, tampons, condoms, etc. By having the door member of theconcealed storage cavity located on the outer heel portion of the shoe(instead of the interior side wall) said door member is less noticeableand more concealed. In addition, the door hinge of the present inventionis integrated into the inside bottom portion of the storage cavity(instead of protruding beyond the door on the side wall of the shoe),thereby remaining less noticeable and more concealed.

Furthermore, the present invention has a hidden, recessed thumbembodiment which assists the wearer in easily opening the storagecompartment door member. An elastic band affixed to both the door memberand the back wall of the interior storage cavity provides security byensuring the door member of the compartment remains tightly closed whilethe shoe is in use. The door member may be secured in position to closethe storage cavity by any number of known closure mechanisms, includingbut not limited to magnet type arrangements, snap type arrangements,mating fabric (such as Velcro®), spring loaded arrangements, selectivepositional hinge arrangements, etc.

III. Purpose of the Invention

The task of carrying personal items on the person via traditionalarticle-carrying means (such as purses, tote-bags, wallets, clutches, orthe like) has several significant drawbacks. One major drawback relatesto the inconvenience of carrying items by said traditionalarticle-carrying means. Women, for example, oftentimes find itcumbersome and inconvenient to carry purses, tote-bags, wallets, etc.with them, particularly in crowded social environments such asrestaurants, night clubs, bars, sporting events, concerts, etc.

Another major problem with respect to carrying personal items about theperson is personal safety. Specifically, crimes involving theft frompersons utilizing traditional article-carrying means, supra, have becomeincreasingly common. Criminals oftentimes select their victims afterassessing whether the person is likely to have certain valuables intheir possession. In the case of women, for example, a purse may beviewed as an ample target for money, credit cards, and other valuableitems. Thus, carrying personal items via traditional article-carryingmeans presents an increased likelihood of being targeted by thieves.

The present invention is directed at eliminating, or at least reducing,the drawbacks associated with the prior art, supra, which attempt tosolve the attendant problems associated with storing personal itemswithin the sole portion of an article of footwear.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

In one broad aspect of the present invention, an article of footwear isprovided having a foot-receiving portion, a sole portion coupled to thefoot-receiving portion, and a wedge type heel portion coupled to thesole portion, wherein a concealed storage cavity is formed in at leastone of the heel portions and sole portions. In addition to theconcealable storage cavity which is formed, a door closure member isthen formed and integrated into said cavity by such means, including butnot limited to, a hinge, or rail system, etc. Said door member is thensecured by such means, including but not limited to, an elastic band,magnet, latch, clasp, etc., as will be more fully described. below.

In yet a further broad aspect of the present invention, a method ofcarrying personal items is provided, comprising the steps of: (a)forming a concealed storage cavity within at least one of the soleportions and heel portions of a wedge type article of footwear; (b)forming a closure door member that is integrated into said cavity; (c)securing said door member; and (d) storing personal items within saidconcealed storage cavity.

Still another broad aspect of the present invention involves a method ofmanufacturing an article of footwear, comprising the step of forming aconcealed storage cavity within at least one of the wedge type soleportions and heel portions of the article of footwear with the purposeof containing personal items of the wearer of the footwear therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The following description of the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention will be better understood in conjunction with the appendeddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a women's dress shoe having a concealedstorage compartment integrated into its wedge type heel portion of thesole, which is readily assessable by way of means that are more fullydescribed herein;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view and a bottom sectional view of awomen's dress shoe having a concealed storage cavity formed in the wedgetype heel portion of the sole according to the present invention, whichis in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a top view, front view, and back view of a women's dress shoehaving a concealed storage cavity formed in the wedge type heel portionof the sole according to the present invention, which is in its closedposition;

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a women's dress shoe having aconcealed storage cavity formed in the wedge type heel portion of thesole according to the present invention, which is in both a closed andopen position;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a women's dress shoe having aconcealed storage cavity formed in the wedge type heel portion of thesole according to the present invention, which is shown proceeding fromits open position to is closed position, and which shows a personal item(which is a small wallet for illustrative purposes only) beingintroduced therein;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a women's boot (which is a variantembodiment of the present invention) having a concealed storage cavityformed in the wedge type heel portion of the sole according to thepresent invention, which is in its closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention involves providing a concealed, integrated storagecompartment within an article of footwear for holding personal itemssuch as, but not limited to, small wallets, coin purses, keys, money,credit cards, medication, makeup, mints, tampons, perfume, smallcellular telephones, small ipods®, event tickets, contraceptives,jewelry, etc. The concealed, integrated storage compartment of thepresent invention provides a convenient manner of storing personal itemswithout the need for traditional article-carrying means such as purses,wallets, tote-bags, clutches, etc. Moreover, maintaining such personalitems in a concealed manner from within the footwear minimizes thechance of attracting criminals who target persons carrying traditionalarticle-carrying means, thereby improving the personal safety of thewearer.

The present invention provides these advantages in virtually any type offootwear which has a sole that can sufficiently house the compartment ofthe present invention, but more particularly in a wedge type shoe asdescribed herein. It is to be understood that the present inventionfinds application in a wide variety of types of footwear not shown.Moreover, while described below with reference to a single article offootwear (i.e. right or left foot), it is to be understood that thepresent invention is equally applicable to both articles of footwearcomprising a pair.

FIG. 1 illustrates a women's shoe 100 constructed according to oneaspect the present invention. Generally speaking, shoe 100 includes afoot-receiving portion 15, a heel portion 20, a top sole portion 40, anda bottom sole portion 25. In an important aspect of the presentinvention, the heel portion 20 includes a concealed storage cavity 30formed therein. A door member 35 is hingedly coupled 45 to the heelportion 20 so as to provide selective access to the interior of theconcealed storage cavity 30. The door member 35 may be secured inposition to close the concealed storage cavity 30 via any number ofcommonly known closure mechanisms. These may include, but are notnecessarily limited to, snap-type arrangements (i.e. providing snaps andcorresponding mating portions on the door 35 and the heel 20), matingfabric-type arrangements (i.e. providing mating Velcro® sections on thedoor 35 and heel 20), spring-loaded arrangements (i.e. providing aspring in conjunction with the hinge for biasing the door 35 into anormally closed position that may be selectively biased open by a user),magnet arrangements (i.e. providing magnets on or within the door 35and/or heel 20 for magnetically maintaining the door 35 in a closedposition) and selectively positional hinge arrangements (i.e. providinga hinge capable of “snapping” the door member 35 between an openposition and a closed position), and includes an elastic band type ofarrangement by affixing an elastic band 65 to both the door member andthe back wall of the interior storage cavity, thereby aiding inmaintaining the door member 35 in a secure and closed position. Saidclosure door member 35 is attached and integrated into the heel portion20 by such means, including but not limited to, a metal or plastic screwor rivet 50, or any other known fastener.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view and a bottom sectional view of a women'sdress shoe 100 having a concealed storage cavity formed in the wedgetype heel portion of the sole according to the present invention. Thebottom view shows the bottom sole portion 25 with the ground soleportion 60. In an important aspect of the present invention, the heelportion 20 includes a concealed storage cavity (not shown) formedtherein. A door member 35 is hingedly coupled 45 and integrated into theheel portion 20 so as to provide selective access to the interior of theconcealed storage cavity (not shown). The door member 35 may be securedin position to close the concealed storage cavity via any number ofcommonly known closure mechanisms, supra. In addition, the illustrationshows a hidden, recessed thumb embodiment 55, which assists the wearerin easily opening the storage compartment door member 35.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view, front view, and back view of a women'sdress shoe 100 having a concealed storage cavity (not shown) formed inthe wedge type heel portion of the sole according to the presentinvention. The top and front view shows the upper sole portion 40, withthe front view showing the bottom sole portion 25 with the ground sole60. In an important aspect of the present invention, the back view showsthe heel portion 20, which includes a concealed storage cavity (notshown) formed therein. A door member 35 is hingedly coupled 45 andintegrated into the heel portion 20 so as to provide selective access tothe interior of the concealed storage cavity (not shown). The doormember 35 may be secured in position to close the concealed storagecavity via any number of commonly known closure mechanisms, supra. Inaddition, the back view shows a hidden, recessed thumb embodiment 55,which assists the wearer in easily opening the storage compartment doormember 35.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a women's dress shoe100 having a concealed storage cavity formed in the wedge type heelportion of the sole according to the present invention. Thisillustration shows the shoe in both its open and closed position. In animportant aspect of the present invention, the heel portion includes aconcealed storage cavity 30 formed therein. A door member 35 is hingedlycoupled 45 and integrated into the heel portion so as to provideselective access to the interior of the concealed storage cavity 30. Thedoor member 35 may be secured in position to close the concealed storagecavity via any number of commonly known closure mechanisms, supra. Inaddition, the illustration shows an elastic band type of arrangement 65which is affixed to both the door member 35 and the back wall of theinterior storage cavity, thereby aiding in maintaining the door member35 in a secure and closed position.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a women's dress shoe100 having a concealed storage cavity formed in the wedge type heelportion of the sole according to the present invention. Thisillustration shows the shoe 100, which is shown proceeding from its openposition to is closed position, and which shows a personal item (whichis a small wallet 70 for illustrative purposes only) being introducedtherein. In an important aspect of the present invention, the heelportion includes a concealed storage cavity 30 formed therein. A doormember 35 is hingedly coupled 45 and integrated into the heel portion soas to provide selective access to the interior of the concealed storagecavity 30. The door member 35 may be secured in position to close theconcealed storage cavity via any number of commonly known closuremechanisms, supra.

The foregoing embodiments show and describe the present invention asapplied to women's dress shoes. It is to be readily understood, however,that the present invention finds application to virtually anyconceivable type of footwear which contains enough space for a concealedstorage compartment. By way of example only, FIG. 6 illustrate thepresent invention applied to a women's boot 200.

These embodiments, in conjunction with those shown and described abovewith reference to FIGS. 1-6, should make it perfectly clear to thoseskilled in the art that accessing the concealed storage cavity 30 of thepresent invention may be achieved in any number of different fashionswithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. Byproviding a concealed storage cavity within an article of footwear, awearer can transport and store various personal items without the needfor traditional article-carrying means. Women can carry certain personalitems (i.e. small wallets, coin purses, money, credit cards, lipstick,keys, tampons, contraceptives, etc.) without the need for a purse,tote-bag, clutch, etc. This reduces the risk of being targeted for theftin that criminals oftentimes select their victims after assessingwhether the person is likely to have certain valuables in theirpossession, which are commonly carried in traditional article-carryingmeans such as purses or wallets. The present invention also providesadvantages in terms of convenience by eliminating the need for suchtraditional article-carrying means. This is important for women, forexample, in crowded social settings where purses and clutches may becumbersome and prone to becoming lost or stolen. This is also importantfor men, for example, who find it frustrating to have to hold theirsignificant other's belongings in such settings.

In addition, the present invention is seen to solve many problems thatare present in the prior art. Specifically, many of the aforementionedinventions have accessibility problems that the present invention hassuccessfully eliminated. More particularly, the purpose of the presentinvention is to create a truly concealed, and relatively large storagecompartment that is easily assessable while continuing to wear the shoe.

Having access the concealed storage compartment while continuing to wearthe shoe has many associated benefits. For instance, the wearer mayaccess the stored items without having to remove the shoe; therebymaking access in a public forum more convenient and less obvious toonlookers or would be thieves and criminals. By having access thestorage compartment while continuing to wear the shoe, the wearer alsoreduces the chance of touching, or otherwise being exposed to, thevarious forms of bacteria or viral substances that may be present on theunder portion of the shoe that comes into direct contact with the ground(it should be noted that shoes often come into direct contact withrestroom or lavatory floors, which naturally tend to harbor fecal andother infectious matter).

Further, in much of the prior art, the closure portion or door member ofthe storage compartment comes into direct contact with the ground. Withsuch closure members being in direct contact with the ground, theirstructural integrity could become compromised by the attendant wear andtear. Also, with a closure portion or door member being in directcontact with the ground, one's personal items could become wet orotherwise soiled.

Moreover, by having a wedge type sole comprising a base several incheshigh and extending continuously from the toe portion of the upper soleto the heel portion of the upper sole, more space is created in the heelportion of the sole, which allows for a storage space capable of storinglarger personal items such as a wallets, coin purses, makeup, keys,pepper spray, tampons, condoms, etc. By having the door member of theconcealed storage cavity located on the outer heel portion of the shoe(instead of the interior side wall) said door member is less noticeableand more concealed. In addition, the door hinge of the present inventionis integrated into the inside bottom portion of the storage cavity(instead of protruding beyond the door on the side wall of the shoe),thereby remaining less noticeable and more concealed.

Furthermore, the present invention has a hidden, recessed thumbembodiment which assists the wearer in easily opening the storagecompartment door member. An elastic band affixed to both the door memberand the back wall of the interior storage cavity provides security byensuring the door member of the compartment remains tightly closed whilethe shoe is in use. The door member may be secured in position to closethe storage cavity by any number of known closure mechanisms, includingbut not limited to magnet type arrangements, snap type arrangements,mating fabric (such as Velcro®), spring loaded arrangements, selectivepositional hinge arrangements, etc. the foregoing embodiments meet theobjectives of this invention as stated above.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown anddescribed. Thus, all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope and spirit of the invention.

1. An article of footwear, comprising: a foot-receiving portion; a soleportion coupled to said foot-receiving portion; a wedge type heelportion coupled to said sole portion, wherein a storage cavity is formedin at least one of said heel portions and said sole portions, saidstorage cavity having an aperture formed in the back portion of at leastone of said heel portion and said sole portion; and a closure doormember is affixed and integrated over said aperture such that saidstorage cavity is concealed to a person viewing said footwear, whereinsaid closure door member is attached and integrated by such means,including but not limited to, a metal or plastic screw or rivet, or anyother known fastener.
 2. The article of footwear set forth in claim 1,wherein said storage cavity is formed in said wedge type heel portion ofsaid article of footwear.
 3. A method of carrying personal items,comprising the steps of: (a) forming a storage cavity within at leastone of a sole portion and a heel portion of a wedge type article offootwear, said storage cavity having an aperture formed in the back ofat least one said heel portion and said sole portion; (b) said storagecavity having a closure mechanism, wherein said closure mechanismincludes (c) disposing personal items within said storage cavity; and(d) introducing said personal items through said aperture and into saidstorage cavity such that said personal items are concealed to a personviewing said footwear.
 4. A method of manufacturing an article offootwear, comprising the step of: (a) forming a storage cavity within atleast one of a sole portion and a heel portion of said wedge typearticle of footwear, said storage cavity having an aperture formed inthe back of at least one said heel portion and said sole portion; and(b) said storage cavity providing an interior chamber for receivingarticles therein, and a closure door mechanism/member, such that saidstorage cavity is concealed to a person viewing said footwear when saidclosure member is in place, wherein said closure member is attached bysuch means, including but not limited to, a metal or plastic screw orrivet, or any other known fastener, wherein said closure door membercontains an elastic band affixed to both the door member and the backwall of the interior storage cavity, wherein said door member may besecured in position by any number of known closure mechanisms, includingbut not limited to magnet type arrangements, snap type arrangements,mating fabric (such as Velcro®), spring loaded arrangements, selectivepositional hinge arrangements, etc.